Earlier editions: 2026-07
Title 9 — Building Regulations
Santa Maria Municipal Code Ch. 9-44 Property Maintenance Code
Santa Maria Municipal Code · 2026-10 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · Santa Maria
Cite as: Santa Maria Municipal Code Chapter 9-44 · Text as of 2026-10-04
Section 9-44.010. International Property Maintenance Code, 2018 Edition, Adopted.¶
The provisions of the International Property Maintenance Code, 2018 Edition, as published by the International Code Council, including Appendix A are hereby adopted by reference subject to the additions and amendments set forth in this Chapter.
(Ord. 2019-10, eff. 1/1/20)
Section 9-44.020. Section 101.1 of Chapter 1 Amended: Title.¶
Subsection 101.1 of Section 101 of Chapter 1 of the International Property Maintenance Code, 2018 Edition, is amended entirely to read as follows:
101.1 Title. These regulations shall be known as the Property Maintenance Code of the City of Santa Maria, hereinafter referred to as "this Code."
(Ord. 2019-10, eff. 1/1/20)
Section 9-44.030. Subsection 103.5 of Chapter 1 Amended: General.¶
Subsection 103.1 of Section 103 of Chapter 1 of the International Property Maintenance Code, 2018 Edition, is amended in its entirety to read:
103.1 General. The Code Enforcement Division is given the duties of the department of property maintenance inspection as listed in the International Property Maintenance Code and the executive official in charge thereof shall be known as the code official.
(Ord. 2019-10, eff. 1/1/20)
Section 9-44.040. Subsection 103.5 of Chapter 1 Amended: Fees.¶
Subsection 103.5 of Section 103 of Chapter 1 of the International Property Maintenance Code, 2018 Edition, is amended entirely to read as follows:
103.5 Fees. Fees shall be assessed in accordance with the provisions as set forth in the then current City of Santa Maria Schedule of Fees and Charges.
(Ord. 2019-10, eff. 1/1/20)
Section 9-44.050. Subsection 106.4 of Chapter 1 Amended: Violation and Penalties.¶
Subsection 106.4 of Chapter 1 of the California Building Code, 2019 Edition, is amended in its entirety to read as follows:
106.4 Violation and penalties.
106.4.1 Violations. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert, demolish, equip, use, occupy or maintain any building or structure in the City, or cause or permit the same to be done in violation of this Code.
106.4.2 Violation penalties. Any person, firm or corporation violating any provision of this Code shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof, shall be punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment as set forth in Title 1, Chapter 6 of the City of Santa Maria Municipal Code. Furthermore, each separate day or any portion thereof, during which any violation of this Code occurs or continues, shall be deemed to constitute a separate offense.
(Ord. 2019-10, eff. 1/1/20)
Section 9-44.060. Subsection 108.1 of Chapter 1 Amended: General.¶
Subsection 108.1 of Section 108 of Chapter 1 of the International Property Maintenance Code, 2024 Edition, is amended to read as follows:
108.1 General. When a structure or equipment is found by the code official to be unsafe, unfit for human occupancy, or unlawful, such structure or equipment shall be placarded accordingly pursuant to Section 108.4 of this Code.
108.1.1 Unsafe structures. An unsafe structure is one that is found to be dangerous to the life, health, property, or safety of the public or the occupants of the structure by not providing minimum safeguards to protect or warn occupants in the event of fire, or because such structure contains unsafe equipment or is so damaged, decayed, dilapidated, structurally unsafe or of such faulty construction or unstable foundation, that partial or complete collapse is possible.
108.1.2 Unsafe equipment. Unsafe equipment includes any boiler, heating equipment, elevator, moving stairway, electrical wiring or device, flammable liquid containers or other equipment on the premises or within the structure that is in such disrepair or condition that such equipment is a hazard to life, health, property, or safety of the public or occupants of the premises or structure.
108.1.3 Structure unfit for human occupancy. A structure is unfit for human occupancy whenever the code official finds that such structure is unsafe, unlawful or, because of the degree to which the structure is in disrepair or lacks maintenance is insanitary, vermin, or rat infested, contains filth and contamination, or lacks ventilation, illumination, sanitary or heating facilities or other essential equipment required by this code, or because the location of the structure constitutes a hazard to the occupants of the structure or to the public.
108.1.4 Unlawful structure. An unlawful structure is one found in whole or in part to be occupied by more persons than permitted under this code, or was erected, altered, or occupied contrary to law.
108.1.5 Dangerous structure or premises. For the purpose of this code, any structure or premises that has any or all of the conditions or defects described as follows shall be considered to be dangerous:
| 1. | Any door aisle, passageway, stairway, exit or other means of egress that does not conform to the approved building or fire code of the jurisdiction as related to the requirements for existing buildings. |
|---|---|
| 2. | The walking surface of any aisle, passageway, stairway, exit or other means of egress is so warped, worn loose, torn, or otherwise unsafe as to not provide safe and adequate means of egress. |
| 3. | Any portion of a building, structure, or appurtenance that has been damaged by fire, earthquake, wind, flood, deterioration, neglect, abandonment, vandalism, or by any other cause to such an extent that it is likely to partially or completely collapse, or to become detached or dislodged. |
| 4. | Any portion of a building, or any member, appurtenance or ornamentation on the exterior thereof that is not of sufficient strength or stability, or is not so anchored, attached, or fastened in place so as to be capable of resisting natural or artificial loads of one and one-half the original designed value. |
| 5. | The building or structure, or part of the building or structure, because of dilapidation, deterioration, decay, faulty construction, the removal or movement of some portion of the ground necessary for the support, or for any other reason, is likely to partially or completely collapse, or some portion of the foundation or underpinning of the building or structure is likely to fail or give way. |
| 6. | The building or structure, or any portion thereof, is clearly unsafe for its use and occupancy. |
| 7. | The building or structure is neglected, damaged, dilapidated, unsecured, or abandoned so as to become an attractive nuisance to children who might play in the building or structure to their danger, becomes a harbor for vagrants, criminals or immoral persons, or enables persons to resort to the building or structure for committing a nuisance or an unlawful act. |
| 8. | Any building or structure has been constructed, exists or is maintained in violation of any specific requirement or prohibition applicable to such building or structure provided by the approved building or fire code of the jurisdiction, or of any law or ordinance to such an extent as to present either a substantial risk of fire, building collapse or any other threat to life and safety. |
| 9. | A building or structure, used or intended to be used for dwelling purposes, because of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, decay, damage, faulty construction or arrangement, inadequate light, ventilation, mechanical or plumbing system, or otherwise, is determined by the code official to be unsanitary, unfit for human habitation or in such a condition that is likely to cause sickness or disease. |
| 10. | Any building or structure, because of a lack of sufficient or proper fire-resistance-rated construction, fire protection systems, electrical system, fuel connections, mechanical system, plumbing system or other cause, is determined by the code official to be a threat to life or health. |
| 11. | Any portion of a building remains on a site after the demolition or destruction of the building or structure or whenever any building or structure is abandoned so as to constitute such building or portion thereof as an attractive nuisance or hazard to the public. |
(Ord. 2019-10, eff. 1/1/20; Ord. 2022-06, eff. 1/1/23; Ord. 2025-05, eff. 1/1/2026)
Section 9-44.061. Subsection 108.4 of Chapter 1 Amended: Placarding.¶
Subsection 108.4 of Section 108 of Chapter 1 of the International Property Maintenance Code, 2024 Edition, is amended to read as follows:
108.4 Placarding. Pursuant to conditions found in Sections 108.1, 108.2, 108.3 and 108.5 of this Code, the Building Official or designee shall post on the subject premises, structure or equipment a placard stating either "Unsafe" or "Limited Entry." Such placard shall include the penalty for violating the conditions of the placard and reference to the appeals process of Section 113 of 2025 California Building Code as amended by the City of Santa Maria in Section 9-04.080 of this Code.
(Ord. 2022-06, eff. 1/1/23; Ord. 2025-05, eff. 1/1/2026)
Section 9-44.070. Subsection 108.7 of Chapter 1 Amended: Record.¶
Subsection 108.7 of Section 108 of Chapter 1 of the International Property Maintenance Code, 2018 Edition, is amended entirely to read as follows:
108.7 Record. Official records associated with a violation that is subject to the application of this Code shall be retained by the City.
(Ord. 2019-10, eff. 1/1/20)
Section 9-44.080. Section 111 of Chapter 1 Amended: Means of Appeal.¶
Section 111 of Chapter 1 of the International Property Maintenance Code, 2018 Edition, is amended entirely to read as follows:
111 Means of Appeal. Appeals of orders, decisions, or determinations made by the Code Official shall be addressed in accordance with the provisions of Title 1 of the Santa Maria Municipal Code.
(Ord. 2019-10, eff. 1/1/20)
Section 9-44.090. Section 112.4 of Chapter 1 Amended: Failure to Comply.¶
Subsection 112.4 of Section 112 of Chapter 1 of the International Property Maintenance Code, 2018 Edition, is amended by amending Section 112.4 entirely to read as follows:
112.4 Failure to comply. Any person who shall continue any work after having been served with a stop work order, except such work as that person is directed by the code official to perform to remove a violation or unsafe condition, may be issued a citation as outlined in Title 1 of the Santa Maria Municipal Code.
(Ord. 2019-10, eff. 1/1/20)
Section 9-44.100. Section 302.4 of Chapter 3 Amended: Weeds.¶
Subsection 302.4 of Section 302 of Chapter 3 of the International Property Maintenance Code, 2018 Edition, is amended entirely to read as follows:
302.4 Weeds. All premises and exterior property shall be maintained free from weeds or plant growth in accordance with City of Santa Maria Municipal Code Section 5-8.02.
(Ord. 2019-10, eff. 1/1/20)
Section 9-44.110. Section 602.2 of Chapter 6 Amended: Residential Occupancies.¶
Subsection 602.2 of Section 602 of Chapter 6 of the International Property Maintenance Code, 2018 Edition, is amended entirely to read as follows:
602.2 Residential Occupancies. Dwellings shall be provided with heating facilities capable of maintaining a room temperature of 68ºF (20ºC) in all habitable rooms. Cooking appliances shall not be used, nor shall portable unvented fuel-burning space heaters be used, as a means to provide required heating.
(Ord. 2019-10, eff. 1/1/20)
Section 9-44.120. Section 602.3 of Chapter 6 Amended: Heat Supply.¶
Subsection 602.3 of Section 602 of Chapter 6 of the International Property Maintenance Code, 2018 Edition, is amended by deleting Section 602.3 entirely.
(Ord. 2019-10, eff. 1/1/20)
Section 9-44.130. Section 602.4 of Chapter 6 Amended: Occupiable Work Spaces.¶
Subsection 602.4 of Section 602 of Chapter 6 of the International Property Maintenance Code, 2018 Edition, is amended by deleting Section 602.4 entirely.
(Ord. 2019-10, eff. 1/1/20)
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